Piano case construction



y 1966 E. L. SCHROTH 3,248,989

PIANO CASE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EDWARD L.ScHR

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M y 3, 1966 E. L. SCHROTH 3,248,989

PIANO CASE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 13' INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,248,989 PIANO CASE CONSTRUCTION Edward L. Schroth, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to D. H. galdwiu Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of bio Filed May 20, 1963, Ser. No. 281,470 12 Claims. (Cl. 84-177) The invention relates to a locking device for a piano case, and more particularly to a locking system for an upright piano by means of which the piano top, top front board and fallboard may be secured in closed position with a single lock and key.

In the usual pianos of the upright type, in both stand' ard and spinet sizes, a fallboard is provided to cover the keys. Further, the piano top and often the top front board are made openable for access to the interior of the piano case. Generally, thefallboard is provided with a locking mechanism so that when the fallboard is locked in closed position, access may be gained to the playing keys only by one having a key to the fallboard lock. However, no such locking devices are provided for the piano top and top front board, although in some instances these elements are made lockable by means of separate lock and key assemblies.

It has been found advantageous, especially for pianos in schools, theaters, and institutions of various types, to provide a piano case the top front board and top of which may be opened for purposes of increasing volume, or for access to the piano action for repair, replacement, voicing or tuning, while at the same time these elements and the fallboard are made easily lockable in a closed position to avoid vandalism or damage to the piano action when the person in charge of the instrument is not present. 7

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a case for an upright piano wherein the top, top front board and fallboard may be secured in closed and locked position by means of one lock and key assembly.

It is an object of the invention to provide a structure having the above noted advantage, but in which the fallboard may be separately operated.

These and other objects of the invention which will be described hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, are accomplished by that construction and arrangement of parts of which an exemplary embodiment will now be described. Reference is made to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the piano case of the present invention illustrating the fallboard, top front board and top in open position.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the piano case of the present invention showing the fallboard, top front board and top in closed and locked position.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the support for the top front board and top as it appears when these elements are held in open position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of the clip members by which the top front board and top are held in locked position when the fallboard is closed and locked.

The piano case of the present invention is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The piano case, generally indicated at 1, is provided with sides 2 and 3' and side arms 4 and 5. The case is also provided with a top front board 6 and a bottom front board 7. The case further includes a top 8, a shelf 9, a shelf drop 10', and a fallboard 11. Playing keys 12 are provided with a key bed 13, key frame 14 and key slip 15. The piano action 16 is diagrammatically represented in FIG. 1. The style of the piano case, from the standpoint of aesthetic design, does not constitute a limitation on the invention; and it will 3,248,989 Patented May 3, 1966 further be understood that the proportioning of the parts may be varied as required by design considerations.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2, it will be noted that in the present embodiment the top front board 6 is permanently afiixed to the top 8. This may be done in any suitable manner including screws and the like (not shown) and glue blocks such as the one shown at 17. The top front board 6 is provided with end members 18 (FIG. 1) and 19 (FIG. 2).

The shelf 9 is permanently affixed to the lower edge of the top front board 16 and the side members 18 and 19 by any suitable means (not shown) including screws, glue and the like. The shelf drop 10 is permanently agixed to the under portion of the shelf, near its forward e ge.

Thus it will be seen that the shelf drop, shelf, top, front board and top form a unitary structure (hereinafter referred to as unitary structure 8a) pivotally mounted to the rear frame 20 by hinge means 21.

A support 22 is provided to hold the above described unitary structure in open position (see FIG. 1). The support 22 is most clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is pivotally mounted by means of a bolt 23 to that portion of the shelf 9 which extends behind the top front board 6. The free end of the support is provided with a notch 24 suitably configured to engage the upper edge of the side 3. The notch 24 may be lined with felt or other material to prevent marring of the piano case side. A similar piece of felt or the like 26 may be provided near the pivoted end of the support where it may contact the inside surface of the top front board side member 19. As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the support 22 is not in use, it is swung to a position where it lies along that portion of the shelf which is behind the top front board.

The fallboard 11 is adapted to be lifted slightly and slid rearwardly along fall support strips mounted on the inside surfaces of arms 4 and 5, or adjacent parts of the sides of the case. One such fall support strip is illustrated at 27 in FIG. 2. When in its open position, the front portion of the fallboard will rest on the fall strip 28 at the rear of the piano keys. So that the fallboard may be more easily opened and closed, it may be provided with an equalizing mechanism 29. Such equalizing mechanism is described in Patent No. 2,554,665, issued May 29, 1951. The fallboard may be provided with knobs 30 which may be grasped for purposes of opening and closing it. A lock 31 is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2 with cooperating portions 31a and 31b located in the front part of the fallboard 11 and in the key slip 15 respectively. This lock may be of any suitable type, well known in the art, and preferably is key actuated.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, it will be noted that the rear edge 11a of the fallboard 11 is beveled so as to be substantially parallel to the rear surface 10a of the shelf drop 10. FIGS. 2 and 4 further indicate that that portion of the edge 11a of the fallboard which is near the side arm 5 of the piano case bears a locking clip 32. The rear surface 10a of the shelf drop bears a cooperating locking clip 33. The locking clip 32 is generally L- shaped, with a mounting portion 32a and an engagement portion 32b. While the locking clip 32 may be affixed to the edge 11a by any suitable means, it is shown as held in place by screws 34. The locking clip 33 is in every way identical to the locking clip 32. The clip 33 has a mounting portion 33a and an engagement portion 34b, and is shown affixed to the surface 10a of the shelf drop by means of screws 35. Thus it will be seen that a single simple locking clip structure can serve either as the fallboard clip or the shelf drop clip. It will be noted from the drawings that when the unitary structure 8a is in closed position, and the fallboard 11 is also in closed position,

3 there will be an interengagement of surfaces 32b and 33b of the locking clips 32 and 33.

An arm clip 36 is permanently afiixed to the side arm 5. The arm clip 36 has a mounting portion 36a and an engagement portion 36b. The portions 36a and 36b hear an angular relationship of 90 to each other. The engagement portion 36b may be of a rectangular configuration while the mounting portion 36a may be of a trapezoidal configuration. This trapezoidal configuration of the portion 36a will insure that the forwardmost edge thereof will clear the surface a of the shelf drop no matter which arm the member 36 is affixed to. Thus the same arm clip structure may be used for both arms 5 and 4. As is most clearly seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the arm clip 36 is so arranged that when locking clips 32 and 33 are in their fully engaged position, the forward-most edge 36c of the engagement portion 36b of the arm clipwill be in contact with the upper surface of the engagement portion 32b of the locking clip 32. This arrangement of parts prevents the forcible opening of the unitary structure 8a. This is because the bearing of the edge 360 on the locking clip 32 prevents the distortion of that clip which would be required to forcibly disengage clip 33 from clip 32 when the fallboard 11 is in closed position. The unitary structure is so configured that it cannot swing toward open position without producing an upward motion of clip 33.

A further safeguard against the forcible opening of the unitary structure 8a when the fallboard is in closed and locked position is illustrated in FIG. 2. The upper surface of the side arm 5 is provided with an upstanding pin 37. That portion of the shelf, which rests on the upper surface of the side arm 5 when the unitary structure 8a is in closed position, is provided with a pin receiving perforation 38. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the side arm 4 may be provided with a similar pin 39, with an appropriate pin receiving perforation provided in the shelf. This arrangement of pins 37 and 39 with cooperating perforations 38 and 40 respectively serves not only to insure proper alignment of the unitary structure 8a when in closed position, but also to prevent a forcible wrenching action on the unitary structure 8a to cause it to open when the fallboard is in closed and locked position.

Briefly, the practice of the present invention is as follows: When the piano is to be used, the lock 31 is opened. The fallboard 11a is raised upwardly and slid rearwardly on the fallboard strips. This discloses the keys and the piano may be used.

But at the same time the rearward motion of the fallboard 11 releases the engagement of the locking clips 32 and 33 and the arm clips 36. The unitary structure 8a is now easily openable, and may be held in opened position by the support 22. When the piano case is to be closed and locked, the unitary structure 8a is raised slightly upwardly to disengage the notch 24 of the support 22 from the side 3 of the piano case. The support 22 is rotated to its inoperative position along that part of the shelf 9 which is behind the top front board 6. The unitary structure 8a is lowered to its closed position, with pins 37 and 39 entering perforations 38 and 40 respectively. The fallboard 11 is then pulled forwardly to its closed position, whereby locking clips 32 and 33 engage each other, clip 32 engaging arm clip 36. The lock 31 may then be locked, and the piano keys and the piano action are fully protected.

Modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of it. The invention having been described in an exemplary embodiment, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a piano case having side members, side arms and a key bed, a fallboard for covering keys on said key bed, said fallboard being movable from a covering to an uncovering position in a mode of motion having a substantial horizontal component, said fallboard having a rear edge, a structure above said fallboard for closing at least a portion of said piano case at the front thereof, said structure above said fallboard having a lower edge and being pivotally mounted and movable from an open to a closed position in a mode of motion in which said lower edge moves downwardly and rearwardly, and iuterengagement means at the rear edge of said fallboard and the lower edge of said pivotally mounted struc ture, which means when interengaged by a movement of said fallboard to covering position, will prevent an upward and forward movement of the lower edge of said pivotally mounted structure thereby locking it against motion.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 including equalizing means in association with said fallboard to permit movement of said fallboard without cocking.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said interengagement means at said rear edge of said fallboard comprises at least one upwardly extending clip having a bent over portion extending toward the front of said piano case, and wherein said interengagement means at said lower edge of said pivotally mounted structure comprises at least one downwardly depending clip having a bent over portion extending toward the rear of said piano case, said bent over portion of said upwardly extending clip overlying and engaging said bent over portion of said downwardly depending clip when said fallboard is in covering position and said pivotally mounted structure is in closed position.

4. The structure claimed in claim 3 wherein means are provided for locking said fallboard in covering position.

5. The structure claimed in claim 3 wherein said pivotally mounted structure comprises a top and a top front board, said lower edge of said pivotally mounted structure being the lower edge of said top front board.

6. The structure claimed in claim 3 wherein said pivotally mounted structure comprises a top, a top front board, a shelf and a shelf drop, said lower edge of said pivotally mounted structure being the lower edge of said shelf drop.

7. The structure claimed in claim 3 wherein means are provided to bear against said overlying bent over portion of said upwardly extending clip when said fallboard is in covering position and said pivotally mounted structure is in closed position, thereby preventing motion of said pivotally mounted structure to an open position by distorting said upwardly extending clip.

8. The structure claimed in claim 6 wherein said means comprises at least one angle iron member, one leg of said angle iron member being affixed to one of said side arms, the other leg of said angle iron member being normal to said side arm and extending away therefrom, a part of said last-mentioned leg bearing against said overlying bent over portion of said upwardly extending clip when said fallboard is in covering position and said pivotally mounted structure is in closed position.

9. The structure claimed in claim 7 wherein said pivotally mounted structure comprises a top, a top front board, a shelf and a shelf drop, said lower edge of said pivotally mounted structure being the lower edge of said shelf drop.

10. The structure claimed in claim 9 in which the ends of said shelf overlap the upper edges of said side arms when said pivotally mounted structure is in closed position, and including upstanding pins affixed to the overlapped portion of the upper edges of said side arms, the ends of said shelf being provided with perforations, said pins entering said perforations when said pivotally mounted structure is in closed position to properly align said pivotally mounted structure and prevent its being forcibly wrenched to an open position when said fallboard is in covering position.

11. The structure claimed in claim 10 wherein said shelf extends forwardly and rearwardly of said top front board, and including a support to hold said pivotally mounted structure in open position, said support comprising an elongated member pivotally mounted at one end to said rearwardly extending portion of said shelf, the other end of said support having a notch, said support being swingable from a position wherein it lies along the rearwardly extending portion of said shelf when said pivotally mounted structure is in closed position to a position wherein said notch engages the upper edge of one of said side members when said pivotally mounted structure is in open position.

6 12. The structure claimed in claim 11 wherein means are provided for locking said fallboard in covering position.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 6/ 1962 Great Britain. 8/ 1964 Great Britain.

10 LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PIANO CASE HAVING SIDE MEMBERS, SIDE ARMS AND A KEY BED, A FALLBOARD FOR COVERING KEYS ON SAID KEY BED, SAID FALLBOARD BEING MOVABLE FROM A COVERING TO AN UNCOVERING POSITION IN A MODE OF MOTION HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL HORIZONTAL COMPONENT, SAID FALLBOARD HAVING A REAR EDGE, A STRUCTURE ABOVE SAID FALLBOARD FOR CLOSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PIANO CASE AT THE FRONT THEREOF, SAID STRUCTURE ABOVE SAID FALLBOARD HAVING A LOWER EDGE AND BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AND MOVABLE FROM AN OPEN TO A CLOSED POSITION IN A MODE OF MOTION IN WHICH SAID LOWER EDGE MOVES DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY, AND INTERENGAGEMENT MEANS AT THE REAR EDGE OF SAID FALLBOARD AND THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID PIVOTALLY MOUNTED STRUCTURE, WHICH MEANS WHEN INTERENGAGED BY A MOVEMENT OF SAID FALLBOARD TO COVERING POSITION, WILL PREVENT AN UPWARD AND FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID PIVOTALLY MOUNTED STRUCTURE THEREBY LOCKING IT AGAINST MOTION. 